


sweet tooth, new moon

by colombiche



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, I'm very in love with Ortega and so is Sidestep, Other, edit: came to my attention that this might be considered spoilerish? but lets be real., ish?, my gdrive doc is literally labelled as just 'val loves ortega' n if that aint valid, you looked hard enough to find this fic? you know fh:r. come on.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 12:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17022552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colombiche/pseuds/colombiche
Summary: Sidestep plans to spend a day out with Ortega. They have quite a bit of an internal conflict, and remember the first time Ortega and them kissed.They also come to terms with how this will all end.





	sweet tooth, new moon

**Author's Note:**

> so this is my first fic ive posted on here! i rlly like this and hope yall will too.
> 
> my sidestep is called valeera, and are referred to with they/them pronouns throughout.
> 
> ortega is julia here, but even if thats not ur cup of tea, consider giving the fic a shot? 
> 
> xoxo

_ “Val?” _

Ortega has cut her hair shorter (why?) and from where Val stands, they can spot a couple of grey strands mixed into her dark hair. There are laugh marks around her mouth, creases at her eyes, and a startling amount of deeply rooted affection in her dark gaze. Val lets their eyes flicker to a nick at the edge of her upper lip; the remnant of an old fight, one that occurred at the beginning of Val’s sidekick career all those years ago. They remember the scar very clearly because Ortega had teasingly said to them,  _ maybe you should kiss it all better, dearest Sidestep _ , and Val had responded accordingly by shoving an alcohol-soaked cloth deeper into her wound. Ortega had winced slightly and continued smiling.

_ Okay. Maybe I deserved that. _

_ You think? _

“Are you not coming in?” Ortega asks. She’s standing at the entrance of the Rangers HQ, wearing a windbreaker over her Rangers skintight bodysuit. “Maybe say hi to the others-?”

“No,” Val answers, maybe a split second too quickly. Instinctively, they adjust themself, allowing the exhaustion to visibly take over their body. Giving a tired smile, they say, “I just wanted to go somewhere else. Coffee shop, park, wherever you like.” 

Ortega gives them a look, stepping out onto the pavement and standing distinctly close to Val.

“You mean, away from the building.”

_ What’d it take to get a little smooch, hm? I promise I won’t move! And I’m awfully hurt! _

“Yeah.” Val grimaces. “I know it’s different from the old one, but I just,” they pause, hesitant,  and look away, acting according to how they know they should.

Val wonders how much of themself is just an act.

“It’s the memories, huh,” Ortega says. “I get it, no worries. There’s a nice bakery downtown. I can indulge your sweet tooth. Willing to walk?”

_ How accommodating of her _ , Val thinks, but still allows a small smile to appear. “Sure.”

Visibly brightening, Ortega holds out her arm to Val, and after only a moment’s deliberation (how much will this affect my ability to complete my task as New Moon? Significantly, but I  _ love  _ her so much), Val links arms with her, smiling softly to the ground.

_ I can assure you, Charge, that despite whatever your parents said, ‘Sana sana’ did not actually work. _

_ Actually, there’s the very real possibility that a singing-powered healer hero exists. So, there’s no harm in trying, right? _

“How are you doing?” Val says.

“Hm?” Ortega looks back at them distractingly, having been surveilling the streets for possible museum gala crashing villains and for the possible correct way to the bakery. “Oh, my mods are all back into top shape. Steel still isn’t letting me out in the field, God knows he wants me there, but I guess the higher-ups were shaken.” Ortega manages to strain a smile. “It really wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be.”

_ You’re serious.  _

“I guess not,” Val comments quietly. They allow one sweeping inspection of Ortega’s general demeanor, sees no serious harm still present (of course there wouldn’t be, Val isn’t an  _ amateur _ ), and drops the subject.

“Really,” Ortega repeats, seemingly choosing to focus more closely on Val and their innocuous response. “New Moon’s entrance was impressive, and I guess he did a good enough job of taking us all down - apart from Angie, no surprise there - but,” she pauses, pursing her lips, looking at their joined arms and back at Val’s face. At that moment, the faint buzzing of Ortega’s unreadable mind has never been more irritatingly inconvenient.

_ Of course I am. _

“But?” Val repeats, a slight push of questioning suspicion permeating them anyway. A small but significant part of them realises they want this; this harsh and cruel suspicion coming from the one person that matters the most. Let her realise the truth; let Ortega come to terms with what Val is; let the horrifying realisation settle over her shoulders like a heavy weight. A small but significant part of them wants Ortega to realise, and harden, and take them down like they deserve it. Val’s path is one borne out of undeniable necessity: there was no other path to take. All other bridges had been burned.

But the end wasn’t set in stone.

“He was holding back,” Ortega continues, clarifying after seeing Val’s slightly vacant look. “New Moon, I mean. He was pulling his punches with me. And with Herald too, I could tell, even if I was pissed at the time. And, the strobing lights?” Ortega takes a deep breath, looking around before leaning in closer to Val. “They  _ must’ve  _ known about my epilepsy, Val. And not so many people do.”

_ You’re pretty forward with someone you met so recently. Someone who you don’t know that well. _

Ortega gives Val a hard look, reminiscent of their meeting at the hospital. Except, at the time, Ortega hadn’t been nearly as obviously suspicious as now. Val feels a sickness settle deep in their stomach, accepts the chokehold of guilt wrapped around their aching throat.

_ Yeah, well. It’s been months. We deserve to know each other better, don’t you think?  _

“Even after all these years?” Val asks, throat dry. They don’t dare look away from Ortega.

“Even after all these years,” She confirms. A final look is directed their way before Ortega raises her gaze to the end of the street. “Who knows. Maybe he’s just a fan.”

_ Val let themselves huff slightly at Ortega’s perseverance, a small smile adorning their face, obscured by their hero’s mask. _

_ Ortega watched them closely anyway, her smile widening into a pleased grin. _

“Funny way of showing it,” Val says.

“Some people show their love in different ways. I would know.”

_ Ortega leaned in, sleek and powerful like a panther. She had looked up to Val and tapped their mask lightly. _

_ So? What will it be, Sidestep? _

“You’ve had a lot of lovers since then, Ortega? I guess I can’t really remember the stories of your younger romantic exploits,” Val breathes out lightly, smiling painfully up at Ortega. Their heart glows too, painfully.

“No. Not really,” Ortega responds. Her voice is strong, unforgiving, relentless. “None of importance, anyway. There’s just this one.”

Their heart breaks too, painfully.

_ Val had pulled up their mask just a little, leaned forward into Ortega’s heat, and kissed her. _

Val stares at Ortega as she looks elsewhere, casually. Her slightly greying hair curls around her ears, just brushing the side of her bronzed cheek. Her mouth twitches between the laugh marks; her creases scrunch as she squints under the harsh sun.

A desperate ache, a deep yearning blossoms in their chest. 

“We’re here,” Ortega says.

Was this the present or is this place in the distant past?

New Moon, borne out of undeniable necessity, looks up at their undeniable end, and loves.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i hope yall enjoyed!!! i hope the formatting wasnt too hard to follow? it was supposed to be kind of vague in the first place, but idk...
> 
> consider leaving a comment telling me what you think. id really appreciate it, and can work on anything ill write in the future!
> 
> xoxo


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